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Chicken egg white ovotransferrin (OTF) has been reported to exist in three electrophoretic variants (OTFA, OTFB and OTFC). In this report, we identified a causal polymorphism between the OTFB and OTFC variants in Japanese and Taiwanese native chickens and compared the antibacterial activity between these two variants. The cDNA sequence analyses from Satsumadori oviducts revealed that three non-synonymous SNPs T1809G (Ser52Ala), A2258G (Ile96Val) and G7823A (Asp500Asn) corresponded to the OTF electrophoretic phenotypes. Of the three SNPs, the G7823A mutation perfectly corresponded to the electrophoretic phenotypes OTFB (G/G, Asp500Asp), OTFB/C (G/A, Asp500Asn) and OTFC (A/A, Asn500Asn) in three chicken populations. The variants OTFB and OTFC exhibited similar antibacterial potency against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. This study provides, for the first time, molecular information on polymorphism of OTFB and OTFC variants of chicken ovotransferrin and its effect on the antimicrobial activity of the respective variants.

Japanese quail egg white lysozyme possesses two alleles (S and F). In our previous study, the F phenotype was more effective against bacteria than the S phenotype, whereas the female-derived S phenotype led to improved hatchability. In this study, we analyzed gene frequency of egg white lysozyme using Acid-PAGE and mismatch PCR-RFLP in 22 Japanese quail populations in Japan and compared with five populations in INRA, France. Genotyping of the lysozyme locus in 22 Japanese quail populations in Japan revealed that this locus is polymorphic in all populations except Nagoya University and Kagoshima University (LL and SS) populations. The S allele was a major allele with frequency from 0.69 to 1.00. In five French populations, it was polymorphic in all populations except AA population. The S allele was a major allele with frequency from 0.69 to 1.00. From these results, the lysozyme locus was polymorphic in the Japanese quails and the S allele was a major allele. The S allele was fixed in several populations which have been maintained as closed and small population.

In this study, we attempted to use amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) in combination with selective genotyping to detect loci that affected shank length and body weight at 10 weeks of age in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). A total of 88 primer pairs were used in AFLP analyses of 10 and 13 males with the longest and shortest shank lengths, respectively, from an F2 intercross population derived from lines differentiated by large and small body size (LL and SS, respectively). Ten AFLP bands differed strikingly in frequency between the two groups (P0.05), but did show a significant association with female body weight (P

A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) site, alleles A and C, within promoter region of insulin-like growth factor 1 gene (IGF1) showed significant association with chicken growth, body composition and skeletal traits. In the present study, we performed genotyping of this SNP in Asian native chicken populations, layer and broiler populations using PCR-RFLP and comparison of gene expression level and growth traits among the SNP genotypes. By the PCR-RFLP, allele C frequency was estimated to be within the range of 0.64-1.00 in 12 Asian native chicken populations, 0.48-1.00 in eight layer stocks and 0.00-0.14 in two broiler stocks examined in this study. In all chicken populations, the observed number of each SNP genotype was in good agreement with the Hardy-Weinberg expectations. Body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), growth rate and IGF1 gene expression level in three-week liver were compared among three SNP genotypes obtained by AC×AC crossing. The rankings of each genotype with respect to BW, ADG and growth rate were AA>AC>CC, and statistical significance (PAA>CC. Although we could not find statistically significant difference among the genotypes in the growth rate and the gene expression level, the mean values of CC were lower than those of AA in all traits.

Ovoglobulin G2 (G2) has long been known as a major protein constituent of chicken egg white. However, little is known about the biochemical properties and biological functions of G2 because the gene encoding G2 has not been identified. Therefore, the identification of the gene encoding G2 and an analysis of its genetic variability is an important step toward the goal of understanding the biological functions of the G2 protein and its utility in poultry production. To identify and characterize the gene encoding G2, we separated G2 from egg white using electrophoresis on a non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel. Two polymorphic forms of G2 protein (G2A and G2B), with different mobilities (fast and slow respectively), were detected by staining. The protein band corresponding to G2B was electro-eluted from the native gel, re-electrophoresed under denaturing conditions and its N-terminal sequence was determined by Edman degradation following transfer onto a membrane. Sequencing of the 47 kDa G2B band revealed it to be identical to TENP (transiently expressed in neural precursors), also known as BPI fold-containing family B, member 2 (BPIFB2), a protein with strong homology to a bacterial permeability-increasing protein family (BPI) in mammals. Full-length chicken TENP cDNA sequences were determined for 78 individuals across 29 chicken breeds, lines, and populations, and consequently eleven non-synonymous substitutions were detected in the coding region. Of the eleven non-synonymous substitutions, A329G leading to Arg110Gln was completely associated with the noted differential electrophoretic mobility of G2. Specifically G2B, with a slower mobility is encoded by A329 (Arg110), whereas G2A, with a faster mobility, is encoded by G329 (Gln110). The sequence data, derived from the coding region, also revealed that the gene encoding G2 demonstrates significant genetic variability across different chicken breeds/lines/populations. These variants, and how they correlate with egg white properties, may allow us to understand further G2's functions.

This experiment was designed to produce chimeric chicken by transferring primordial germ cells (PGCs) of Ehime native chicken embryos to White Leghorn ones. Fertilized eggs produced by both chicken breeds were incubated until stage 12-15 of embryonic development. The donor PGCs were taken out from blood vessel of Ehime native chicken embryos and injected into blood vessel of White Leghorn ones at the same stage. After the injection, the recipient eggs were incubated until hatching. Finally, three hatchlings including one male and two females were obtained. The birds survived to sexual maturity were used for progeny test to check chimerism. Of 29 offspring obtained by progeny test, 15 chicks showed feather color which was considered to be derived from Ehime native chicken. The present results suggest that the production of chimeric chicken by means of the transfer of PGCs may be able to restore genetic resources from endangered domestic chicken or some of the wild birds.

An important outcome of intensive worldwide Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) obtained with the surveillance by The National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit (http://www.cjd.ed.ac.uk/figures. htm), has been the detection of atypical BSE in cattle. The discovery of a prion protein gene (PRNP) E211K variant in an atypical BSE case is particularly remarkable because it is analogous to the most common pathogenic mutation in humans (E200K), which causes hereditary Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Knowledge of the distribution and frequency of PRNP E211K variants in cattle populations is critical for understanding and managing atypical BSE. This study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of the E211K variant in the South-East Asia bovine populations and in the Japanese cattle breeds. It was discovered that E211K variant was monomorphic for a G allele and the GG genotype in the 745 animals analyzed in this study. Therefore, neither the Bos indicus nor the Bos taurus animals analyzed are presently known to harbor the 211K variant predicting that the number of carriers for this variant will also be vanishingly low.

BACKGROUND: Prion protein (PrP) level plays the central role in bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) susceptibility. Increasing the level of PrP decreases incubation period for this disease. Therefore, studying the expression of the cellular PrP or at least the messenger RNA might be used in selection for preventing the propagation of BSE and other prion diseases. Two insertion/deletion (indel) variations have been tentatively associated with susceptibility/resistance of cattle to classical BSE. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We studied the expression of each genotype at the two indel sites in Japanese Black (JB) and Japanese Brown (JBr) cattle breeds by a standard curve method of real-time PCR. Five diplotypes subdivided into two categories were selected from each breed. The two cattle breeds were considered differently. Expression of PRNP was significantly (p0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the del/del genotype or at least its del allele may modulate the expression of PRNP at the 23-bp locus in the medulla oblongata of these cattle breeds.

Chicken egg white ovotransferrin (OTF) has been reported to exist in three electrophoretic variants (OTFA, OTFB and OTFC). In this report, we identified a causal polymorphism between the OTFB and OTFC variants in Japanese and Taiwanese native chickens and compared the antibacterial activity between these two variants. The cDNA sequence analyses from Satsumadori oviducts revealed that three non-synonymous SNPs T1809G (Ser52Ala), A2258G (Ile96Val) and G7823A (Asp500Asn) corresponded to the OTF electrophoretic phenotypes. Of the three SNPs, the G7823A mutation perfectly corresponded to the electrophoretic phenotypes OTFB (G/G, Asp500Asp), OTFB/C (G/A, Asp500Asn) and OTFC (A/A, Asn500Asn) in three chicken populations. The variants OTFB and OTFC exhibited similar antibacterial potency against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. This study provides, for the first time, molecular information on polymorphism of OTFB and OTFC variants of chicken ovotransferrin and its effect on the antimicrobial activity of the respective variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  The musk shrew (Suncus murinus) is an insectivore species that inhabits tropical and subtropical Asia widely. To clarify the genetic relationship among wild musk shrew populations, we examined the electrophoretic variants of biparentally inherited genetic markers at 10 loci coding for eight blood proteins/enzymes in a total of 639 animals and compared the results obtained from the mitochondrial DNA data. The principal-component analysis performed using the allele frequency data revealed that the 17 populations could be divided into two major groups, a South Asian group and a Southeast Asian group that includes several island populations bound by Myanmar. The degrees of genetic divergence among populations were higher within the Southeast Asian group than within the South Asian group. This finding was incongruent with the mtDNA diversity. Analysis conducted at the individual level showed that a shrew from the central region in Myanmar that carries a South Asian type of mtDNA showed the electrophoretic variants specific to the Southeast Asian group, suggesting that this region is a contact zone between the two major groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The musk shrew (Suncus murinus) is a small mammalian species belonging to Insectivora. It is widely distributed in Asia. To identify the genetic relationship among wild musk shrew populations and examine its migration route, we investigated the populations of Cambodia and Bhutan by using mitochondrial DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and compared them with other Asian populations previously described. Four haplotypes were detected in Cambodia and eight in Bhutan. A total of 53 haplotypes were detected in Asia and were classified largely into two groups, the Continental and Island types, based on a minimum spanning network. From the distribution of mtDNA types in wild musk shrews, three major population groups are identified in Asia: South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Malay. It is suggested that the Malay population group was a mix of South and Southeast Asian population groups and that this was a contact area of the two groups. In addition, other contact areas between the South and Southeast Asian groups exist in Myanmar, but unlike the Malay, the Myanmar area was the border of these groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study on Japanese quail, heterosis for weight, growth rate, and fitness traits were estimated and growth curves were fitted to traits and were compared. Crossing (SR) was performed between females of a very small line (SS) which was selected for low body weight at the age of six weeks and males of a randombred population (RR) from the same origin. Heterosis for female body weight was observed at 4 and 6 weeks of age, but it was not significant for adult size in males and females. The four growth curve models of Brody, Logistic, Gompertz and Bertalanffy were compared and the Gompertz model was the most suitable. Heterosis by the Gompertz model was negative for the age at the point of inflexion and the age at the 90% body weight of the asymptote in both sexes, but it was larger for the second trait. There was no heterosis for fertility and viability from 6 weeks up to 100 days of age in the female, but it was significant for hatchability and survival rate up to 6 weeks of age. Large heterosis was found for the age at first egg, the number of eggs and the total egg weight up to 100 days of age. However, the average egg weight of SR was lighter than that of RR, showing no heterosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]